Discus AWS Cloud Service

In this tech-oriented world, millions and millions of information are stored in the database of startups and the reputed MNCs. With that comes the significant risk of data breaches which can happen due to any possible vulnerability. Even though technology has been advancing each day, and security practices are upgrading, cybercrime rates are high. Finding several loopholes and leveraging them is not a tough nut to crack! The information stored can be worth millions or billions, which can lead to a massive loss.

Likewise, companies these days focus primarily on the safety and security of the data and information stored in their databases. The companies’ prime inclination is towards the cloud security services like the AWS, and so on since data protection in aws is one of the current most reliable technologies. According to Statista, the revenue of AWS grew around 29 percent in the third quarter of 2020, compared to the previous quarter. The AWS is one of the most significant revenue sources for Amazon and has generated net sales of approximately 35.03 billion U.S. dollars in 2019.

Thus, it is high time you should switch your traditional security protocols to AWS for many reasons. We have also listed some essential information about the security and governance in AWS and some excellent safety practices you should follow to safeguard your enterprise data in AWS. Let’s get started!

What Is the AWS Shared Security Responsibility Model?

The amazon web services (AWS) has a robust infrastructure with high scalability, availability, and dependability. According to Statista, around 76 percent of the technical professionals across various IT industries worldwide are currently running their apps and services using the Amazon Web Service(AWS).

The AWS works on a clear-cut model, which is termed the AWS shared security responsibility model. The model states that the cloud’s data is a shared responsibility between the enterprise and the cloud service provider. The entire model is humongous. But to make things distinct, here is a list of the fundamental tools of the security provided in AWS:

Access management

The main focus here is on the list of permissions of resources and data. The services offered to control the access are AWS Identity and access management(IAM), Single Sign On (SSO), AWS organisations, AWS Cognito, AWS Directory service, and so on.

Monitoring

The AWS focuses on monitoring the status and working of the software applications and the hardware devices related to the system.AWS offers a complete end-to-end monitoring solution with the help of services like AWS inspector, AWS Elasticsearch, AWS CloudWatch, AWS GuardDuty, AWS Config, and so on, which keeps the data in check.

Data Encryption

The AWS ensures that all the data stored in the system is entirely unreadable and secure from any third-party apps or unwanted access. AWS’s data encryption services are AWS CloudHSM, AWS Key Management Service(KMS), AWS Secrets Manager, AWS Certificate Manager(ACM), etc.

Network security

Frequent network attacks are not something new nowadays. Strengthening the network security with the right services is essential. The services included for network security in AWS are AWS Shield, AWS Web Application Firewall, AWS VPC, AWS Direct Connect, and so on, which helps control and manage the incoming and outgoing flow of requests from different prospects.

Compliance

With so many security controls in place, it is necessary to evaluate all the processes. Adhering to the regulatory compliances and guidelines is essential. Therefore, AWS services like AWS SSM, AWS IAM, AWS Config, AWS could trail, AWS Trusted Advisor, AWS inspector, and so on ensure full compliance in the cloud security activities.

What are the top five tips to safeguard your enterprise data in AWS?

Now when we have a good understanding of the working of AWS and its tools, let’s jump on to some very crucial tips that you should consider while incorporating AWS into your systems for better protection and security.

Categorisation of Assets

To secure the data and information, you need to identify and categorise them appropriately. Most of the professionals cannot recognise the data and its architecture which results in lax security. This is exactly what the hackers take advantage of. The lookout for such glitches, which you are mostly unaware of. Thus, the first step to secure sensitive data is to identify its importance and categorize the safety and security levels accordingly. There are different aspects of categorisation. The most basic categorisation of digital assets are:

  1. Important business-related information, internal/core processes, internal strategies, blueprints, and other vital assets are the first categorised level of an asset.
  2. Data that are meant to act as support to the core activities like partnerships, packages, hardware infrastructure, and so on which come in the second level.


Limit Data Access

It is crucial to limit access to any file or document to secure sensitive data. Using the IAM policies, you can create and manage the policies. You can allot or assign the data based on the roles or working of the members. It will have a streamlined flow of data. This will help minimise or eliminate any potential breaches or damage caused by compromised credential leaks. This will also help you target and remove the ghost accounts or any inactive users who are frequently left unattended. Use Access control lists(ACLs) for restricting the network traffic. This way, you can manage the access ports and isolate any service or process if necessary. This significantly reduces vulnerability. This is the best practice to secure data on aws since you can efficiently manage the compliance logs, which can again reduce the liability. Also, ensure to keep an eye on the EC2 while using an AWS service. There is a high tendency for hackers to access your EC2 and thereby modify, leak or abuse any data. Therefore, controlling access to EC2 is a critical step in data protection in AWS.

Update Security Policies

Most enterprises tend to use the security policies previously established long years back. But with the improved mindset of hackers comes a significant risk of data breaches. Therefore, upgrading the existing security policies and compliances even after moving to cloud security is essential. With updated rules and regulations, you can effectively respond to any cyber threat in the cloud. For this, you need to perform frequent checks and hunts within the infrastructure every time to track any possible vulnerabilities and loopholes and fix them accordingly. You need to have complete visibility and also an automatic threat detection system for better convenience.

Duplicate Data

Last but not least, this tip is certainly not just limited to cloud security. Backing up data and information frequently and reliably is an absolute necessity. In case of any database corruption, you can easily retain the important files through the backup. Use the AWS Backup services for simplified and centralised storage of data. It will help you to manage and will also automate most of the backup processes. It also offers a wide range of services like EFS, EBS, Storage Gateway, DynamoDB for a convenient user experience.

Wrap Up

With the best practices to secure data on aws, you can easily combat the risk of any cyber threats with ease. These exclusively designed automated processes and services offer high-level security and safety upon mutual collaboration. Implement these practices and amp up your company’s security game today with AWS and keep your sensitive data protected.